Brass

We source four different alloys of brass tube which are all yellow brass and all very similar in color. As there are very few differences in color, we do not differentiate our brass tube by alloy and you may receive any of the four brass alloys, depending on availability. The only exception will be if you want to machine the brass tube, in that case you would want to use the C330 alloys because the lead content means it machines easier. The C330 alloy will normally only be stocked in wall thicknesses 0.062” and greater.

Brass is one of the most popular materials because of its workability and its strength. That workability means you can bend most brass alloys relatively easily. The exception is with C360 brass alloy, the lead in that alloy can cause material to crack if bent to too tight of a radius.

A common request from customers is for architectural bronze. That term can confuse those in metals industry because the alloys typically referred to as architectural bronze will technically be brass alloys. They will be copper alloy with zinc and not tin like an actual bronze. We list these alloys under brass because of this reason. See our selection of architectural bronze alloys here..

All brass alloys will tarnish over time, but some alloys will provide more corrosion resistance than others. Brass alloys like C464 Naval brass and C280 Muntz brass will keep their surface free of tarnish longer, for this reason they used commonly in marine applications. If brass tarnishes, it cleans fairly easily using a brass tarnish remover or many common fine abrasive mediums and a mild acid (baking soda and vinegar or flour, salt, and lemon juice, etc.)

Brass alloys come in a range of colors, from a very yellow color (C260) to red (C230) to a brown/bronze color (C385). See our helpful brass alloy color guide for more information. Keep in mind these colors are subject to change from one mill heat lot to another and can be slightly different based on the color settings of your computer monitor. k